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Kassandra of Sparta
Kassandra (453 BC-) was a Spartan mercenary (misthios) who fought in the Peloponnesian War. She was the maternal great-granddaughter of Leonidas I of Sparta, the step-daughter of Spartan general Nikolaos of Sparta, and the illegitimate daughter of Pythagoras, and she became known as one of the fiercest warriors and mercenaries of ancient Greece. Biography Early life Kassandra was born in Sparta in 453 BC, the illegitimate daughter of Pythagoras by Myrrine, the granddaughter of King Leonidas I. Her descent from Leonidas was acknowledged by her stepfather, the general Nikolaos of Sparta, who often trained her in the hope that she would follow in her ancestor's footsteps as a great warrior and leader. In 446 BC, the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi prophesied that Kassandra's newborn younger brother Alexios would bring about the fall of Sparta in the future, so the citizens of Sparta demanded that Alexios be sacrificed to the Gods by being thrown off Mount Taygetos. As the priest Demetrios Peris prepared to sacrifice Alexios, Kassandra - who was persuaded by her mother's wailing and begging for Alexios' life - rushed up to Peris and attempted to save her brother. However, she accidentally pushed both of them to their apparent deaths, leading to Sergios Livas calling for Kassandra to be executed as a traitor. The Spartan crowd demanded that Nikolaos push his own daughter off the cliff, and, although Myrrine begged Nikolaos to not listen to the crowd, he reluctantly pushed her off the cliff to her apparent death as lightning struck nearby. Arrival in Cephalonia ]]Kassandra survived the fall, however, and she escaped to the beach with the broken Spear of Leonidas, which she had been given as an heirloom. She avoided being detected by the Spartans, and she fled out to the open seas on a weak boat, with an eagle, Ikaros, following her. A storm turned her boat overboard and she woke up on the beaches of Cephalonia, where she was greeted by local merchant Markos of Kephallonia. Markos offered her food if she would do errands for him, and he raised her as a good friend and associate of his. ''Misthios'' Kassandra became a well-renowned misthios on her island, and she often had to deal with Markos' issues. She was able to live in a hovel to the south of Mount Ainos, down the road from Sami, the main settlement on the island; she was still accompanied by the eagle Ikaros, who would often serve as a scout whenever she needed to have a better understanding of an area. Cyclops In 431 BC, Kassandra was confronted at her hovel by thugs Iraklis Mangas and Yiorgos Contos, who had been sent by the powerful bandit leader, the "Cyclops of Kephallonia", to collect Markos' debts. Kassandra defeated both of them and told them to warn their master against further intimidation attempts, and she then met Markos' other underling, Phoibe, who told her to meet Markos at his new vineyard. Kassandfa was shocked that Markos had gone and bought himself a vineyard while he was broke, and she met up with him. Category:453 BC births Category:Spartan soldiers Category:Spartans Category:Soldiers Category:Greeks Category:Pagans Category:Cephalonians Category:Gays Category:Mercenaries